Bound and bleeding
by Torashii
Summary: [Spitting a soul in two has far greater consequences than originally thought. Yoh has to suffer these, unknowing of their origin. When he finds out the truth, can he remain the same carefree boy? Hao x Yoh]
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I suck at titles orz

Warnings: (Hopefully) violence, character death and incest. Eventual Hao x Yoh

Somewhat of a prelude

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><p>Fire danced before dark chocolate eyes, illuminating the clearing before them. Almost silently, Asakura Hao chanted an incantation, watching as the fire displayed to him the image of his younger brother and other half. Yoh seemed to be training, if his pathetic attempt at summoning leaf spirits could be considered as such. Hao sighed, observing the seven year old with a tinge of disappointment. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought that even with his soul in two, he retained the entirety of his power rather than left half in Yoh's body. As it was, Hao spent the past seven years steadily regaining power so that he'd soon be as if he was whole, yet Yoh seemed to have spent it slacking off and napping. He didn't care that an average seven year old wouldn't have come near even half of his original power, it was shameful that his other half was so weak.<p>

Dispelling the incantation with a wave of his hand, Hao stood up and shook his head, putting his little brother's progress - or lack of thereof - to the back of his mind. He could check up on the boy later, but first he had to start building his kingdom, starting with gathering some followers. Calling upon his guardian spirit, Hao vanished in a burst of flames.

On the other side of the world, Asakura Yoh was breathing heavily, several fallen leaves spread out in front of him. He didn't know why it was so _hard _to simply summon the spirits - he'd been at it for hours and with each one going past, his grandfather looked more and more solemn at his weak shamanic powers. Yoh flopped onto the ground, frustrated and out of breath. The more he tried to use his powers, the stronger the pain inside his chest grew. It was an annoying habit of his body to grow tired so easily. The pain in his chest was another constant he had to get used to. Sometimes it'd go on for hours or days at a time, so often he'd forgotten when it had even started.

His grandfather leapt from his perch on a nearby rock, landing besides the exhausted seven year old. Yoh looked up to see eyes full of concern. He would have been happy about it if there wasn't an equal amount of disappointment present too. He wondered if the concern was even for his well being at all.

"Hurting again, Yoh?"

"Uh huh." Yoh nodded, unconsciously clutching at his chest. Yohmei merely sighed, holding a hand out to insert his furyoku into the bear claw necklace his grandson wore. Immediately, Yoh's body started to absorb the power, and the young brunet could feel the pain ease some. Yohmei frowned, observing his grandson's reactions.

"Yoh, you need to train more. The only way you can become a proper shaman is to increase your furyoku. It's far too small right now."

"I know, I know." Yoh leaned back and raised his gaze to the sky. '_I don't even want to be a shaman.'_

'_I don't even want to be a shaman.'_ Hao frowned at the thought that came unbidden into his mind. It took a second before he realised it was the thoughts of his other half coming through their connection. '_With his level of power, it would be amazing if he could become one.'_ Hao scoffed, returning his attention to the small African child at his feet. She was starved and malnourished, almost upon the brink of death. She was barely out of infancy yet she undoubtedly had released a fairly large amount of furyoku for her age and tiny body. He picked her up from the dirty ground, preparing to teleport somewhere he could look after her. '_It's a shame'_, Hao idly thought, stepping onto the spirit of fire. '_If only Yoh could display some power like this child.' _They both vanished in a burst of flame.

X X X

Hao woke to the commentary of his brother's thoughts. It wasn't unusual. At ten years of age he had regained his original level of power, so that it was natural to be able to hear his other half, regardless of where either of them were in the world. In actuality, it was a connection he couldn't completely sever.

Hao mentally sighed at his brother's thoughts. They were always filled with ideas of napping, star gazing or food. While he agreed star gazing was a wonderful pastime, it was painfully obvious his brother wasn't the slightest bit serious about becoming a proper shaman. His shamanic powers had barely grown, given that Yoh showed no indication of being able to hear his own thoughts or feel their soul bond as he would have been able to if he'd only developed any sufficient level of power. As it was, his furyoku level was at 300 at best. Hao lamented the fact that he couldn't go train the boy himself, since he was protected in the main Asakura house.

Hao quickly shot up as he thought of a way around that. His connection with his other half was natural, entirely subconscious but it could be strengthened so he use it consciously. If he made to reach out and contact Yoh, then he was sure he could unlock the evidently dormant power. Drawing his arms and legs so that he sat in his most familiar pose of meditation, Hao closed his eyes and pushed aside his external senses before looking inside himself. He found their soul link almost immediately, and didn't hesitate to reach out to it to transmit his own thoughts to his brother.

Several things happened at once. Hao was forcefully pushed back, feeling the backlash as a slight stabbing pain in his chest. His other half's thoughts became both confused and erratic, with fear permeating his mind before it was abruptly cut off as Yoh fell unconscious.

_'What the hell happened?' _

Hao quickly shoved their connection away, but not before noticing that Yoh's furyoku had nearly depleted. It shouldn't even be possible - he was the one supplying the power for the attempted contact and there was absolutely no way for Yoh to sense and block it given his small amount of power. There was no reason for this action to lead to his other half using any furyoku, never mind being drained of power. Hao nearly paled at the implications of his attempt. For any being, especially a shaman, having their furyoku reduced to zero would mean the end of their life. He'd almost killed his brother.

Hao didn't even notice his uncharacteristic concern for Yoh, thinking it reasonable given that they practically shared a soul and he wouldn't want to lose it before he could take it back. Slightly shaken, Hao decided that he would stick to observing his twin from afar.

X X X

Bright hospital lights met Yoh's eyes as he awoke. His vision was still blurred, and his hearing fuzzy yet he could make out the outlines of three dark silhouettes on his left. It took several minutes of blinking and waiting until the blurred figures were revealed to be his grandparents and father. Yoh felt a slight jolt of surprise at the appearance of the latter. Mikihisa was rarely around. A few more minutes later, his hearing cleared enough that it was bearable.

"What." Yoh swallowed, trying to get his dry throat to work. "What happened?"

Immediately the other occupants of the room stopped their conversation and focused on the boy on the bed.

"You had another attack." This was his grandfather speaking.

"We managed to fix it Yoh, but it made you weaker." His grandmother's voice was softer, kinder. Yoh didn't even know what part of him required _fixing._ He almost scowled.

Finally his father spoke.

"You must train more Yoh. The only way to beat this is to increase your furyoku and shaman abilities."

Yoh held back tears of frustration, as if it was as easy as training it away. He remembered the sudden pain and confusion, before the gut wrenching fear that accompanied the feeling of his life being drained away while he was powerless to stop it. He didn't have a choice. If becoming a better shaman would stop that from ever happening again then he'd train with seriousness, unlike before. Yoh tried to voice his agreement to his father's words but no sound would come out. Eventually he settled for a jerky nod. '_Everything will be alright.'_ Yoh refused to believe otherwise.

X X X

Hao gazed into the fire that showed his other half. It came a surprise that Yoh would suddenly leave the confines of the main Asakura household at thirteen. Ever since the incident three years prior, Yoh bad surprisingly become more serious in his training. He learnt each of the basics of shamanism with persistence, and regained a portion of his furyoku. Sadly the level was only at 230, the reason for which he couldn't discern. Hao idly considered visiting his now unprotected brother, but he seriously doubted the Asakuras hadn't prepared for that. Secretly he was worried that another incident would occur if they came into contact.

He observed Yoh progress in his new home - obtaining his own spirit, fighting off gangsters and the ridiculous display of pure hearted friendship that got him through the encounter with Tao Ren, even if he somehow ended up in the hospital. Finally his brother was progressing towards becoming a normal, albeit entirely mediocre, shaman. Somehow it appeared as if he was starting from scratch, which was ridiculous. Yet the boy couldn't even perform a simple oversoul. It was entirely frustrating to the pyromaniac. As soon as his brother gained some strength to withstand his magnificent presence, Hao would go over and make sure the boy knew exactly what Hao expectedly of him.

X X X

Asakura Yoh awoke with a heavily feeling of nostalgia. Whitewashed walls surrounded him, and the ever-present smell of antiseptic hit his nose. _'The hospital again, huh?' _He slowly replayed the last few memories he had before coming to the conclusion that he collapsed from furyoku overuse one more. Yoh sighed, dejected. He should have been used to it by now. '_Everything will be alright', _Yoh reassured himself, trying to obtain that constant cheerfulness he wore like a shield. Even when Manta, Ryu and then Anna arrived he couldn't entirely get rid of the subtle feeling of melancholy that somehow were never reflected in the wide smiles he gave them. It really was great to have them there. He'd gone through life with an odd sense of loneliness, as if he was missing something crucial that made him whole. Even if his friends didn't erase the feeling, they eased quite a bit of it. Thinking of this, when compared to the numerous times he'd woken up alone, Yoh finally let out a proper smile. '_Everything will be alright' _he thought, with proper conviction this time.

Despite complaining, Yoh was grateful for Anna' s help in training. Waking up in the hospital once more reminded him that he still needed to get stronger. Hence the next morning, when he was sent out for more training despite his friend's protests that he wasn't feeling well, Yoh actually felt relief that he had not been confined to bed instead. It reminded him far too much of his lonely childhood. _'Anna is such a slave driver though. No hamburgers!' _Yoh lamented the loss of unhealthy food without any serious grudge. Humming a tune in his head, he started his morning run, trying to ignore the fatigue and aches of his body that hadn't quite disappeared from the trip that landed him in the hospital in the first place. He grinned, happy that his chest had finally been hurting less once he moved to his new house even if Yoh had been constantly tired, and out of breath for no reason. That was at least bearable.

He ran half the course before stopping for a break, just a little too tired to continue. An odd feeling of unease was growing within him. Shaking it off, he found a nice bench to rest upon. Leaning back to let the sun fall over his face, Yoh let out a small smile at the peace surrounding him. The one thing he loved about his training was going far enough to reach a distant park that was separated enough from the city that it had a lovely undisturbed air about it. There really was nothing better than finding a quiet place under the sky to take a nap. Yoh wasn't quite sure how long he dozed for before he opened his eyes once more, intent on finishing his course and getting something to eat. Ryu's cooking was something he always looked forwards to, and the teenager let out a laugh when his stomach rumbled in thought of his friend's delicious meals.

Getting up once more, he stretched, let out a laugh and continued on his way. He hummed a tune, idly wondering what would be for dinner. Suddenly his vision blurred, and Yoh came to a halt. Staggering over to a nearby tree, Yoh collapsed against it, closing his eyes against the sudden pain that flared near his heart. A feeling of foreboding washed over him, as if something was coming closer - draining his energy in the process. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to breathe, hoping desperately that whatever was wrong with him wouldn't last. Hours later, Manta found him against the same tree, breathing shallowly.

X X X

Hao frowned as soon as he entered the Tokyo region. It was odd being back - so close to his other half. Soon they'd be even closer. He only managed to listen in on Yoh's thoughts for a moment before they stuttered to a halt, almost immediately resuming with a scared and desperate edge to them. Hao's frowned deepened. He hadn't wanted to believe it, but it seemed as if his own proximity to Yoh was the cause of the other boy's pain, which was ridiculous. They were soul bound since birth, if anything Yoh should be filled with happiness being near to him, not fear and pain. Hao hated to acknowledge his own feelings of completion that only got stronger the closer to Yoh he became. Somehow it irked him that Yoh didn't feel the same way. After realising he was still listening to Yoh's thoughts, which hadn't gotten any better, Hao retracted his mind as far as possible and suppressed his furyoku. He'd do this at least until he got to the truth of the matter, which he vowed that he would.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wao. Thanks for the reviews. I was planning on updating like once a week or smth but the chapters are kinda short anyway so *shrugs*

**Reader - **Haha maybe I over dramatised the importance of their meeting. It's definitely not the most important event

**Guest - **Wouldn't dare '^'b

**venoMM - **Thank you yo

**Asa-kuuki - **I'm trying to follow canon events where I can so this was based off the manga meeting .w.

**Tazzy - **ahaha - I feel like I'm rushing somehow. But than you yo

**sk fan - **It'll probably be explained next chapter o-o And ty

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><p>Gasping, Yoh shot up from his bed, panting slightly. The night after his collapse during training started these odd dreams that he'd been getting ever since. They were certainly strange, he remembered nothing concrete from them, asides from a sinking feeling of dread and entrapment as if something was slowly absorbing him, eating him up while he couldn't escape. Each time he would wake up shaken and often stayed awake for the rest of the night, watching the stars to calm him down. Getting up, he silently padded downstairs and out to the back garden, ignoring the cold that made his breath fog up. He found a dry rock to sit on, before leaning back to look up towards the stars.<p>

Yoh let out a sigh of contentment as he watched the twinkling lights in the sky. The night was clear, without a single cloud to disrupt the view. He shivered slightly in his white yukata, but made no move to go back inside. After receiving word from his oracle bell about the second round of the tournament, all his other clothes were packed away, asides from what he would be wearing to travel on the plane. There was something exciting about the thought of the second round - not only because because it was closer to becoming Shaman King, or that it was the first time out of Japan - there was an almost overwhelming feeling of anticipation for something else. Yoh _knew_ this was going to change in his life in some way, and despite the warning pain in his chest there was a feeling of contentment that rose in him at the thought, which stayed until the first light of morning.

As soon as he deemed it light enough, Yoh rose from his spot and went back inside, allowing his excitement show in the form of a large grin. The oracle bell had informed them the morning after his collapse that they would be taking a plane in two days - and the time had finally arrived. He started upon his breakfast and was almost done before he heard the tell-tale signs of both Ryu and Horohoro also waking uncharacteristically early. Soon after, Anna was shouting at them to stop making such a racket, only in a way that involved a lot more insults. Yoh could only grin at his friend's antics, sure he would miss their hectic routine together during the tournament. Neither Anna nor Manta were participating, so they couldn't come along. '_At least Ren will meet us there'_ Yoh mused, finishing making the food before going towards the stairs.

"Guys, food!" Yoh shouted happily, enjoying overhearing Anna's disbelief that he actually could be bothered to get up and do anything like make breakfast without being forced. "Come get it or I'll eat it all myself." After that remark, the was a series of thumps, followed by Horohoro appearing at the top of the stairs, looking flustered.

"You can't eat all the food, man. That's my job!" The ainu patted his stomach in hunger before rushing downstairs just in case he would be denied his food. Soon after, a groggy looking Ryu appeared, mumbling a 'thank you, Danna' before disappearing into the dining room after Horohoro. Yoh waited until he heard soft footfalls and saw Anna's blonde head appear at the top of the stairs. She surprisingly looked half asleep, as if she had stayed up late last night. '_Most likely worrying about us,' _Yoh smiled fondly. Anna was like his unruly little sister. He'd known her from childhood, and even if she often took charge or bossed him around, there was a childishness about her demands that always made him feel like he was simply indulging her like a big brother should.

"Are you joining us?" Yoh kept his voice soft so that it wouldn't disturb the sleepy girl.

"No." Yoh merely nodded at the response. He had already said his proper goodbyes to her the night before, and Manta's after dinner the same night. Yoh made to leave and join the others before they ate all his breakfast before Anna's voice stopped him.

"You better win, Yoh."

"Sure thing!" The young shaman grinned at her, before going to join his friends, immediately getting into a fight over some omelette. Anna shook her head before returning to her bed.

The boys managed to fight over breakfast for half an hour before Ryu finally woke up properly and made more food. When it was late enough, they gathered their bags and said their final goodbyes to funbari onsen. For some reason Yoh felt like he wouldn't be seeing it again for a long, long time. Giving the building one last smile, he turned away and joined his friends.

Eventually they found the place their bus was supposed to pick them up at. It was at least a ten minute wait for it to arrive, and Horohoro had managed to complain the entire time, pissing off Ryu twice. As soon as they got on the bus and sat down, Yoh plugged in his headphones, drowning out the outside world with his favourite songs. He was still somewhat tired, so he happily fell into a light doze.

The bus finally arrived Yokocha American Air Base. One after the other, Horohoro, Ryu and Yoh - who had been shaken away by Ryu - got out to greet the sight before them. Masses of shamen were milling about the base and various stalls, sporting their own eccentric clothing and showing off an array of ghosts. Yoh thought he could spot an elephant as someone's spirit guardian.

"Yoh! Welcome."

The young shaman looked around frantically for a moment to find whoever had called him before he spotted the owner of the voice behind one of the numerous stalls.

"Silva, yo." He grinned

"Care to buy any of our merchandise? All profits go to the Patch tribe of course."

The brunet was about to cheerfully decline before Horohoro's voice cut him off.

"Ren, what are you doing here?!"

The violet haired boy rolled his eyes, before swallowing the snack he had bought. He had wondered how long it would take those idiots to notice him.

"I'm here to win the shaman tournament of course, _honestly Horohoro_, do you even have a brain?" The short boy drawled, smirking at how an embarrassed blush rose on the Ainu's face. Before it could develop into a fully fledged fight, Yoh cut in.

"Good to see you Ren." He grinned at the antagonistic boy. "Now how about we go find somewhere we can catch up?"

"Good idea, Danna!"

Ryu put an arm around both Horohoro and Ren cheerfully. The Chinese boy shrugged him off with a scowl, but followed them all regardless when they started walking. Soon they parted from the crowd and found a secluded area that looked over the large runway. Each shaman found a place to sit, before starting to speculate about the second round and what it would entail. Yoh sat at the edge of the group, uncharacteristically quiet. after entering the air base, and from then on a heavy pressure had started up in his chest. It was starting to hurt his head, until a ringing could be heard in his ears. The brunet was trying hard not to pass out, so when he finally registered that his friends had fallen silent, it took him a while before he noticed why. Yoh's eyes widened.

Standing about ten metres away from them was a young boy. His attire was odd, which wasn't unusual for a shaman, but the thing that had Yoh's breath in his throat was that _he looked exactly like him_. Not a carbon copy, Yoh realised. There were a few differences, namely the clothes, the longer hair of the other boy and the fact that Yoh didn't have his ears pierced. The feeling in his chest tightened after looking at the other boy, so much so that the brunet could barely breathe. Yoh's vision started to darken, but he forced himself to stay conscious. Something was _important_ about this other boy, and it wasn't just the overwhelming sense of power he seemed to possess. Vaguely Yoh heard Horohoro shout something at the newcomer, but the ringing in his ears was too loud for him to hear exactly what.

A crash sounded from somewhere behind him and Yoh realised late that this boy had attacked Horohoro. He wanted to get up, move, defend his friend, do _something_ but there was another part of him that stayed frozen, keeping him paralysed where he sat. There was more shouting, but this time Yoh opted to ignore it to look more at the boy who looked like him. Surprisingly, his brown eyes met another, identical pair. They held each other for a few moment before the other boy looked away, leaving suddenly for some reason. Yoh barely registered the fact that they were alone again before he fell over, darkness overtaking his vision.

X X X

The sun shone brightly above Hao Asakura. He considered it the perfect day for the second part of the shaman tournament to commence upon, and an even better day for him to finally meet his other half. There was no doubt that Yoh wouldn't survive far at his level, and it was honestly worrying to the fire shaman. Hence he prepared for his first meeting with his brother since their birth, making sure that he'd put up strong mental barriers and retracted his furyoku to the highest extent he could. While it was somewhat irksome to contain his power, it wasn't hard for him, and it was necessary for the meeting he planned to take place. He couldn't wait until his other half was stronger.

Leaving his subordinates behind in the main section of the air base, Hao made his way over to the secluded area of land he sensed his brother to be. There was a sense of excitement rising unbidden within him, despite the fact that he already knew that Yoh was weak and disappointing. There was some idea in Hao's mind that he could unlock his brother's potential.

They were lounging around without a care in the world, talking about something entirely meaningless and insignificant. Surprisingly he couldn't hear Yoh's voice. Approaching the group, he was about to address just how pathetic and small they were before he caught sight of Yoh and his word's died in his throat.

What.

_What. _

Hao saw red. Protruding from the middle of Yoh's torso was a long, white spear. Golden inscriptions covered its surface, disappearing only under the dripping red that surrounded the area where spear and chest met. To his horror, the blood increased as soon as Yoh looked up at him. He noticed the brief flash of pain that crossed the face of his other half. That was it.

"What a bunch of pathetic children." Hao drawled, sounding amused. A closer look would show that fire was burning in his eyes. These people we so _incompetent, _and _weak_. They didn't even notice the huge seal that looked like it would cut their friend in two.

Some of the weaklings started talking to him, irritating like annoying bugs that wouldn't go away. Eventually he simply allowed the spirit of fire to punch one of the weaklings - some boy with blue hair - into a wall to shut him up. Unfortunately another one started barking at him. How futile.

Half of Hao's anger wasn't for the weaklings his brother called his friends. He really couldn't expect shaman with such low power levels to be able to see such a high level seal. No, Hao was furious at the scum that would inflict this upon his brother - because he knew there was only one group of people who could get access to this particular seal. Hao ground his teeth. He was going to _kill _his family.

Ignoring the rest of the weaklings, Hao sent one last saddened glance towards his twin before disappearing in a burst of flame.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: ahahaha I am drowning under schoolwork orz

**sk fan **- Not the entire family I think. I sort of like Keiko and she doesn't seem like the kind of person to do that to her son

**KrazynKuki - **ohai again '^'/ Haha thanks. I still want to update so breaks might have to wait until I my other work done .w.

**Asa-kuuki - **lmao yeah. I'm kinda horrible because I like making them despicable and putting through through crap. I was somewhat tempted to break his arm this chapter ~

**venoMM - **Hmmhm, yeah. I think the anime ending in particular is easier to make an alternative plot off but I never quite liked it's ending. Probably something horrible. '^'v

**Guest - **Thank you .w. I'm still going to aim it for weekly updates after I get my other deadlines out of the way.

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><p>"You can't just expect us to make an exception for you Hao." A worried looking Silva gazed at him. Hao had no idea how someone so annoying could be his descendant.<p>

"I don't see the problem." Hao drawled, trying not to let him irritation show. "I've found the Patch village twice before, I don't need to be dropped in the middle of a dessert to find it once more."

The Patch member gritted his teeth. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why Hao Asakura wanted to forgo the aeroplane and make his own way to Patch. It was probably something ridiculous like not wanting to travel in a modern, man-made aircraft. Hao almost snorted at the fool's simple thoughts. As if a measly aeroplane would make him jeopardize his chances of becoming Shaman King.

"Let's put it this way. If I do get on the plane, someone will die."

Silva narrowed his eyes in anger. "Are you threatening us Hao?!"

"I don't need to threaten the likes of you, Patch." Hao sneered. "It's a simple fact. My twin brother simply can't stay very long in my presence. I'm sure even a shaman of your level could understand that dividing a soul will issue _complications_." The fire shaman was loathe to explain the entire situation, but acknowledged the imbeciles needed some information to placate them.

"Fine, let me consult with Goldva." Silva sighed. The reasoning was far fetched - logically, proximity between the souls would be good - but the patch member had to acknowledge that Hao could have come up with something better if he were to lie about it, and even before that, Hao wasn't a shaman to lie.

Hao scoffed. "Finally."

Ignoring the fire shaman, Silva made to dial the line to the patch headquarters, only for Goldva's voice to echo out of Hao's oracle bell.

"There's no need Silva, I have heard the argument."

"And your verdict?" Silva asked nervously. He didn't want to risk Yoh's life. Hao almost rolled his eyes at his descendant.

"The great spirit allows it. It is true that this task is almost pointless for Hao to undertake as he has completed it twice before, and hence we are providing no special treatment to allow this."

Silva opened his mouth to give Hao the go ahead for leaving, but the fire shaman had already disappeared in a burst of flames.

Hao reappeared over a large, traditional Japanese estate in Izumo. He ignored the beautiful scenery and nostalgia associated with his home and narrowed his eyes in anger. He would not be leaving without burning the one responsible for Yoh's condition to ashes. Quickly scanning the area, he managed to sense three of the people he wanted to confront in the same area, and without further thought, Hao descended.

X X X

Anna remained staring out the window of Funbari Onsen for a few moments before addressing the presence behind her.

"Master Mikihisa." She turned and nodded her head in a semblance of respect to the masked Shaman that apparently appeared out of nowhere. She seemed to hesitate for a moment. "How's Yoh?"

Although it wasn't evident, Mikihisa frowned behind his mask. "He's too weak to face Hao. The seal takes up much of his power."

"He can't become Shaman King if he cannot face Hao." Anna's voice remained cold, unconcerned about the health of her fiance and more concerned about his ability to get her what she wanted.

"If the seal is released, he will have the power to face Hao, but we cannot guarantee he will have the will to do so." Mikihisa sighed at the entire troublesome situation. "He may even recall the time before the seal."

"What does Master Yohmei suggest we do?" The Itako was trying to keep her irritation out of her voice. Yoh was far too troublesome, with his annoying pacifistic nature. He was fine for her to command because the boy had no spine - which helped her plans of ruling from the shadows once he became Shaman King - but he would draw the line at killing people they wanted him to. Controlling him with the seal was far easier than if he had access to his reserves of power, but that would leave him too weak to win the Shaman Tournament, and Anna was determined to get her throne.

"I sent him my findings right after observing Hao and Yoh's first meeting. His messenger spirit should be arriving soon."

X X X

Yohmei saw his messenger off until it was no longer in sight before heading back towards the house. He entered the main building of the Asakura estate, wondering how he would manage to go aid Mikihisa with his plan for Yoh without Kino or Keiko interfering. Neither woman had been involved in the sealing in the first place. Yohmei thought they were far too soft to do what needed to be done.

He had only just reached the sitting room, where said women were residing, before a powerful presence seemed to materialise in the area. '_Hao!_' The elderly man barely had time to gather his wits before his own grandson was standing in front of him, seemingly appearing out of thin air. The sheer _rage_ coming off the boy shocked Yohmei into silence.

"Mother." Hao nodded to the startled woman, who seemed almost at the brink of tears. "Kino, Yohmei." For once his voice was terse, almost strained. Frankly, the loss of his inherent playfulness was terrifying.

For some reason, this snapped Yohmei out of his stupor. "What are you doing here, Hao?" The old man was accusing, as if _Hao_ were the one who had enslaved his own kin. The fire shaman almost growled.

"I'm here to find out why my twin brother has been sealed, _like some beast_." The words came out slowly, agitation evident within each one. Hao could distinctly hear Kino and Keiko gasp, but his focus was upon the pathetic little man who called himself head of the Asakuras.

"You have no right to demand-" Yohmei stuttered out, intimidated by the aura of one of the world's strongest shaman, before he was abruptly cut off.

"Yohmei!" Kino sounded surprisingly harsh. "Is what he says true?"

"Yoh did have a seal cast upon him, but it was necessary. He was hearing the thoughts of this monster here!"

Hao was almost stunned. He had never gotten indication that his brother could hear his thoughts in return, not once since he started listening in when they were both seven. The idea that his twin was forcefully bound before the age of seven was somehow horrifying.

"You bound a child, for such a trivial reason? We come from the same soul, it is perfectly natural to have a telepathic bond." The fire shaman sneered at the ridiculousness of his descendants.

"He was five years of age. As an Asakura, he should be able to handle-"

"Five?" Kino hissed, cutting her husband off once more.

Hao's aura seemed to darken at the news. "You bound a five year old with a seal specifically designed for high class demons." He seethed. "It directly attacks the body of their spirit rather than of their flesh." Hao opened a palm, where fire burst into life. It danced wildly, as if responding to the shaman's rage. "It has never been used on a mortal before for good reason. With it, _Yoh will die._"

Kino seemed shocked at the news, with Keiko was silently shaking in the corner. Yohmei almost seemed at loss with how to respond, but not a single hint of regret marred his features. Hao, advanced, allowing his flame to build and surround Yohmei, catching him on fire. The old man retaliated with his leaf spirits in a futile attempt to evade his fate, but soon he was engulfed by the flames. The fire didn't extinguish until well after the screams had died, and all that remained of the Asakura head was bones and ash.

X X X

A small knocking alerted both Anna and Mikihisa to the arrival of Yohmei's messenger spirit. It was completely ignored by the two in favour for the scroll it clutched with both paws. Neither shaman bothered to grant the spirit a token for its services, entirely focused on what their next actions were to be.

"That... is surprisingly ingenious." Mikihisa mused, already going over the chants and incantations in his head. I was laughably simple, and Hao wouldn't be able to counter it without wiping Yoh's mind clean.

Anna nodded in agreement. "We should do it before releasing the seal."

"Even if Hao does break the seal himself, Yoh will hate him regardless."

It was a good plan, they both thought. Neither shaman seemed to have any qualms with messing around with someone else's memories, despite that person being their son and fiancé. After finalising the details and preparing the spells in advance, Anna and Mikihisa prepared to make their way to America.

X X X

It had been an odd experience for Yoh to wake up in the middle of a nosedive towards the Earth. Panic almost took him over for a moment before he regained himself, donning his carefree attitude and looking around for someone he knew. Surprisingly, Ren, Horohoro and Ryu were nearby, in the middle of another argument. Yoh could barely hear them over the whistling wind that rushed past him as they fell out of the sky, and he quickly decided to get closer.

"... use our oversouls, idiot."

Blinking at the tail end of the conversation, Yoh was suddenly reminded of his lack of sword and guardian spirit.

"Master yoh!"

Relief coursed through the veins of the young shaman at the call of Amidamaru. He had for a moment, felt like he had reverted to his state of uselessness with the apparent lack of his spirit. The cry of the ghost seemed to attract the attention of the rest of the group.

"Danna!"

"Yoh! Welcome to the land of the living, buddy." Horohoro grinned, as if his own greeting was somehow amusing. Ren rolled his eyes at the Ainu's antics.

"Here." The Tao held out a long sword. Yoh seemed to glance at it for a moment before realising what it was.

"Harasume! Thanks Ren." The brunet laughed, grinning at the companion he thought least likely to help him. "So how're we going to do this?" Because there obviously was a 'this'. Yoh hoped the boy had an idea of they they'd survive the fall since after having only just woken, he still felt a slight headache and prevailing feeling of weakness.

Ren scoffed but answered anyway. "We'll buffer our landing with our oversouls."

"Okay! Let's all do it at the same time." Yoh grinned and his friends could only wonder how he managed to retain his happy-go-lucky attitude after waking up in the middle of a freefall. None of them noticed the slight strain in his smile, blinded by their own conceptions of his as a goofy, silly shaman. The brunet could be thankful for their misconceptions for once. He didn't want them knowing he wasn't confident in his ability to invoke an oversoul, nevermind on strong enough to stop him from getting hurt.

One by one, they streamlined their bodies to move faster. The ground was fast approaching.

"Three..." Yoh started, feeling uneasy.

"Two!"

"One."

"Now!" Ren commanded, and each member merged their spirit with their chosen medium. For a few seconds, Yoh thought it wasn't going to work, and panic almost took over once more. Finally, the his oversoul appeared, albeit a little later than when it should have. Yoh grit his teeth as his vision blurred and almost went dark, but his oversoul thankfully stayed. And then impact came like a punch to the gut, and for a while he had be saved from splattering all over the desert ground by Amidamaru before it became too much and he felt the connection break. The lost furyoku from breaking his oversoul made it even worse. The young shaman hit the ground, not enough to permanently injure, but enough to knock the wind out of him. Yoh was sure that he was bruised all over, if he ever found the strength to move again.

Distinctly, he heard one of the others come over to him.

"Hey, d-do you think he's still alive?" Horohoro tried to whisper, as if Yoh's ghost would pop out any minute.

The young Asakura groaned in response.

"Idiot." The Tao snorted disdainfully, but worry was evident in his eyes. "Come on, let's pick his idiot up and find out where the hell we are."

Ryu eventually ended up giving Yoh a piggy back ride, being the tallest - and most willing - of the three to do so. It was a blessing to the brunet shaman, who vowed to find something he could do to pay the older boy back. They had been walking for a while though, and Yoh was starting to feel guilty, hearing Ryu's breathing becoming more laboured with the effort of carrying him. The young shaman was prepared to walk by himself to save his friend the trouble, but Ryu decided they should all hitchhike instead. When the older boy - who was starting to increasingly appear like a saint to Yoh - managed to get them a ride in the middle of the desert, Yoh finally relaxed and allowed unconsciousness to take him.

X X X

A sigh escaped Hao's lips as he closed another book. He had been going through his old archives in what used to be his sanctuary to find out everything about the seal he could. Not that he didn't know what the seal did - he knew all too well, being the one who created it in the first place - but never before had he seen it used on another person. The seal was designed for demons from hell, and even he wasn't cruel enough to have tested it on anything else. The old shaman could only curse his family - and himself - for allowing to be used on his brother.

The main problem, Hao summarised, was that the seal was not designed to be removed, and going from the observations he found written by those who used it afterwards, it would greatly weaken, if not destroy the spirit that it was removed from. In a sense, it affected the soul the same way impaling a spear through a body would affect it, disregarding the fact that it wouldn't kill the soul through its mere presence because the body requires several functions that a spear would destroy, to remain alive and the soul only required furyoku. Yet as a major wound would allow blood to flow freely and drain the life liquid away, a wound in the soul would do the same thing. Yoh would slowly be losing furyoku until he ran out and died, and dislodging the spear would simply allow more to flow free and escape. It was worse in Yoh's case, where the seal itself was upheld through Yoh's own furyoku. It was somewhat amazing he had any to spare, though Hao could feel a hint of pride that his twin had been capable of such a feat since childhood, and a fair amount of relief that Yoh was not naturally so weak.

The fire shaman decided that while it was possible for him to release the seal, if he constantly fed Yoh his own furyoku during the process of healing the boy, it was annoyingly risky, especially around the people Yoh called friends and family who would more likely than not interrupt the process like the bumbling fools they were. Hao grimaced. His brother associated with such pitiful company.

He broke out of his thoughts when a familiar presence made itself known to him. Looking up, Hao gave a lighthearted greeting to the small spirit apparition in front of him.

"Opacho. I'm surprised you made it past the barriers."

The little girl giggled. "Master Hao broke the barriers when he came here."

"Oh?" It was unusual for him not to notice, even with other matters on his mind. "So what brings you here?"

"Master's followers are becoming uneasy." The young girl scrunched up her face in dislike. "And... and Opacho wants Master Hao to come back. Opacho misses Master." The child added on sadly.

Hao chuckled, without any spite. "I guess it is time for me to go back. There's nothing left to be done here."

Opacho looked up hopefully, letting out a happy smile. The fire shaman returned it with his usual amused smirk before a burst of flame carried him away.


End file.
